第4章 Autumn Sunset——Henry David Thoreau

内容导读

亨利·大卫·梭罗，美国作家，超验主义的代表人物和践行者。他选择远离社会，蛰居于山水之间，留下了美国文学中的散文典范《瓦尔登湖》。在《秋天的日落》中，梭罗用细腻而饱含深情的笔触描绘了一幅秋阳渐落的瑰丽景色，抒发了他对自然之美的欣赏和敬畏。

英文正文

We had a remarkable sunset one day last November. I was walking in ameadow, the source of a small brook, when the sun at last, just before setting, after a cold grey day, reached a clearstratumin the horizon, and the softest, brightest morning sunlight fell on the dry grass and on the stems of the trees in the opposite horizon, and on the leaves of the shrub-oaks on the hill-side, while our shadows stretched long over the meadow eastward, as if we were the only motes in its beams. It was such a light as we could not have imagined a moment before, and the air also, was so warm and serene that nothing was wanting to make a paradise of that meadow. When wereflectedthat this was not asolitaryphenomenon, never to happen again, but that it would happen forever and ever an infinite number of evenings, and cheer and reassure the latest child that walked there, it was more glorious still.

The sun sets on some retired meadow, where no house is visible, with all the glory and splendor that it lavishes on cities, and,perchance, as it has never set before, —where there is but a solitary marsh-hawk to have his wings gilded by it, or only a musquash looks out from his cabin, and there is some little black-veined brook in the midst of the marsh, just beginning tomeander, winding slowly round a decaying stump.We walked in so pure and bright a light, gilding the withered grass and leaves, so softly and serenely bright, I thought I had never bathed in such a golden flood, without a ripple or a murmur to it. The west side of every wood and rising ground gleamed like a boundary of Elysium, and the sun on our backs seemed like a gentle herdsman driving us home at evening.

So wesauntertoward the Holy Land, till one day the sun shall shine more brightly than ever he has done, shall perchance shine into our minds and hearts, and light up our whole lives with a great awakening light, as warm andsereneand golden as on a bank-side in autumn.

中文译文

秋天的日落

亨利·大卫·梭罗

最近十一月的一天，我们目睹了一个极其美丽的日落。当我漫步于一条小溪发源处的草地之上，那天际的太阳，终于在一个凄苦的寒日之后，暮夕之前，涌出云层，骤放澄明。这时但见远方天幕下的衰草残茎，山边的木叶橡丛，顿时沉浸在一片最柔美也最耀眼的曙光般的绮照之中，而我们自己的身影也长长地伸向东边的草地，仿佛是那缕斜晖中仅有的点点微尘。周围的风景是那么柔美，一晌之前还是难以想象，空气也是那么和暖纯净，一时间这普通草原实在无异天上景象。但是当我想到，这眼前之景又岂必是绝不经见的特殊奇观？说不定自有天日以来，许许多多个暮夕便都是如此，因而连跑动在这里的孩童也会觉着自在欣悦，想到这些，这幅景象也就越发显得壮丽。

此刻那落日的余晖正以它金子般的灿烂与辉煌，并不分城市还是乡村，甚至以往日也少见的艳丽，尽情斜映在一带境远地僻的草地之上；这里没有一间房舍——茫茫之中只瞥见一头孤零零的沼泽鹰，背羽上染尽了金黄，一只麝香鼠正探头穴外，另外在沼泽之间望见了一股水色黝黑的小溪，蜿蜒而前，绕行于一堆残株败根之旁。我们漫步于其中的光芒，是这样的纯美与熠耀，满目衰草木叶，一片金黄，晃晃之中又是这般柔和恬静，没有一丝涟漪，一息呜咽。我想我从来不曾沐浴于这么幽美的金色光汛之中。西望林薮丘岗之际，彩焕烂然，恍若仙境边陲一般，而我们背后的秋阳，仿佛一个慈祥的牧人，正趁薄暮时分，赶送我们归去。

我们在踯躅于天国的历程当中也是这样。总有一天，太阳的光辉会照耀得更加妍丽，会照射进我们的心扉灵府之中，会使我们的生命充满了更彻悟的奇妙光照，其温煦、恬淡与金灿熠耀，恰似一个秋日的岸边那样。

词汇速记

meadow n. 草地；牧场

stratum n. 地层；阶层；岩层

reflec v. 思考；反省；反思

solitary adj. 独自的；单独的；喜欢（或惯于）独处的；单个的

perchance adv. 也许；可能

meander v. 蜿蜒而行；迂回曲折；漫步；闲逛

boundary n. 边界；界限；分界线

saunter v. 悠闲地走；漫步；闲逛

serene adj. 平静的；宁静的；安详的

美句欣赏

We walked in so pure and bright a light, gilding the withered grass and leaves, so softly and serenely bright, I thought I had never bathed in such a golden flood, without a ripple or a murmur to it. The west side of every wood and rising ground gleamed like a boundary of Elysium, and the sun on our backs seemed like a gentle herdsman driving us home at evening.我们漫步于其中的光芒，是这样的纯美与熠耀，满目衰草木叶，一片金黄，晃晃之中又是这般柔和恬静，没有一丝涟漪，一息呜咽。我想我从来不曾沐浴于这么幽美的金色光汛之中。西望林薮丘岗之际，彩焕烂然，恍若仙境边陲一般，而我们背后的秋阳，仿佛一个慈祥的牧人，正趁薄暮时分，赶送我们归去。